


Things you said with no space between us

by Galysh_Sky



Series: Things You Said - Emerald Knights [1]
Category: Les Chevaliers d'Émeraude | The Knights of Emerald - Anne Robillard
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Patsko d'Émeraude (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 07:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19352392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galysh_Sky/pseuds/Galysh_Sky
Summary: 13 year old me would be so proud, aka, it's 2007 again.





	Things you said with no space between us

**Author's Note:**

> 13 year old me would be so proud, aka, it's 2007 again.

_Late 2021. Santo_ 's Apartment.

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

The door shook with each thud, the noise forcing its way underneath the covers and into his ears with vicious glee. Santo groaned. He shoved his head underneath his pillow, but that did little to help. He tried to roll over, curling into a ball, but as he brought his knees up, they pushed off something soft. Santo yelped. He flailed and landed on the ground with a pained groan. He lay there, peering blearily at the ceiling for a long while. The banging at least had stopped. He turned his head slightly, noting the sofa. _That was odd, he didn’t have a sofa in his bedroom_. He frowned, but the gesture sent pain spiking through his head and he gave it up as a lost cause. His eyes wandered back to the ceiling, with its slowly turning fan.

 _Click_.

Santo stiffened. Instincts, long years of training under a harsh gaze, sent him scrambling to his feet. His stomach churned in protest, joining his head in its angry throbbing. He flung himself over the sofa, ducking down behind the back. He forced his eyes open, for they had slid shut against his will. He looked about for weapon, even as his hand patted his legs for his knife. It wasn’t there. He chanced a glance at the door and the panic left in a long exhale, relief rushing into its place. A skinny teen was peering through the doorway, his brown hair sticking out from under his snap-back. He was frowning as he walked inside, carelessly tossing his backpack onto the floor.

“I don’t see him, Kerns,” the boy said, Santo watched him peer into first the kitchen and then the bathroom. “Are you sure he’s home?”

“He’s supposed to be,” the reply came from another teen who had also scurried in and was closing the door. He too looked around, a nervous light in his eyes. “Do you think that he’ll be mad that we broke in?”

“It’s Santo, he’s not capable of getting angry,” Nogait said flippantly, his footsteps thudded closer and Santo bit back a groan as each step drove another spike of pain through his head. He resolved to warn the boy’s master later. The sofa shuddered, and Santo flinched away from it. He could no longer see the children.

“You only say that because you haven’t lived with him for the last three years,” Kerns mumbled. He too sunk onto the sofa. “He’s really nice but there are limits, you know.”

“…Point,” Nogait said. “But still, where is he then? Jasson’s going to be mad if we don’t locate him.”

“I should’ve stayed at the party,” Kerns sounded even more distressed. “What if he never made it home? What if he was kidnapped?”

“Impossible.” Nogait’s answer was categorical. “He’s an Emerald. They don’t get kidnapped.”

Santo snorted at that, hastily clapping his hand over his mouth a moment too late. Thankfully, the children didn’t seem to have heard. He well remembered the terror of seeing his baby brother snatched up before his very eyes, but he had no intention of telling the children that story. He slumped against the sofa and pondered what to do. The option was stolen from him when a familiar sensation pressed against his mind.

_< <Santo, are you still within Emerald?>>_

It took the careful planting if his teeth in his lower lip, to prevent another snort to escape, still he smiled at the calculated coldness within Wellan’s voice. Of all his brothers-in-arms, he was the only to have managed to wipe any trait of emotion from his thought communication. He aimed a wave of affection towards the man, the best he could do with his head pounding like it was. An answering wave reached him swiftly, strong with the affection of several people. Santo smiled softly at the gesture.

_< <Do you need anything?>>_

_< <You drank a lot last night.>>_

Some might be concerned at the thought of being spied during a private event, but Santo trusted his siblings entirely. He concentrated, struggling to form solid thoughts, reaching first out to Bergeau, the second speaker. _< <How did I get home? My memories are… fuzzy.>> _

_< <Prince Patsko brought you back, you just about passed out on him. It was cute.>> _Bergeau replied, amusement clear in his tone. Santo flushed, though he felt a twinge of gratefulness for the prince’s actions.

 _< <Thank you, I am fine. Jasson come fetch your boy.>>_ He thought at them, and then before the courage failed him, he gripped the back of the sofa and pulled himself up. The children screeched, flinging themselves off the seat in a panic. Santo’s head throbbed furiously but he ignored it, focusing instead on the children who had drawn their daggers and fallen into a defensive posture. Kerns the better brawler stood in front of his friend.

“Your situational awareness needs work,” Santo informed then. He made his way around the sofa and sat down with a groan. “Fetch me some Advil.” Kerns slid his dagger back into his belt and bolted for the bathroom, he soon returned and presented the small case to Santo along with a glass of water. He ducked his head looking embarrassed as Santo sipped the water. “I take it you did not sleep here last night?” The latter questioned.

Kerns shook his head, “No sir. Sir Jasson let me stay over.” He glanced up and relaxed again when Santo smiled gently at him. “Are you alright, sir?”

“Too many beers,” Santo reassured the boy, he turned a sharp look onto Nogait. “And what are you doing here?”

“Jasson told us to track you down, ‘cause you missed the morning carnage,” the boy said with an unrepentant grin, it showed off his missing front tooth nicely.

“You’ve found me, what are your next orders?” Santo asked, he relaxed further into the cushions as the painkillers sunk in. Another wave of appeasement reached him, and he smiled a little dopily. The teens exchanged looks, a silent conversation held in no more than a scrunching of Nogait’s nose and an arching of Kern’s eyebrows. Santo felt a rush of pride at their progress.

“Jasson didn’t say,” Nogait replied, “but I’m assuming it was ta make sure you hadn’t dropped dead somewhere.”

“Correct assumption, Squirt~”

The children yelped again and flung themselves backwards, but Santo only sighed. He tilted his head towards the door, watching as Jasson swaggered in, followed by Falcon, and Chloé, and Dempsey _… Oh._

“You didn’t all have to come,” Santo said weakly. “I’m fine.” He didn’t protest though when Chloé dropped a kiss on his forehead, and Bergeau ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Don’t be silly,” Wellan said, he sat down on the sofa and without so much as a ‘by-your-leave’ hauled Santo’s legs up onto his lap, forcing the latter to lie down. “We brought you food.”

“Proper fast food, none of that fancy schmancy palace muck!” Jasson added cheerfully, he returned from ushering the teens out the door and smiled pleased as punch. Santo huffed helplessly at their antics. He watched as they settled down on his living room floor, spreading out bags of take-out on his coffee table. It smelled delicious, much better than the food served at last’s nights meal. Though, as his Mother had not hesitated to tell him _(“You’re much too thin, dearest. They obviously aren’t feeding you enough.”)_ made of a much better quality. Santo shook the thought from his head, and swung his legs down, drawing a concerned look from Wellan. He twisted about, tucking himself against the broader man’s side and relaxed again.

“I won’t be able to get up,” Wellan said softly, his hand squeezed Santo’s shoulder gently before sliding down to rest on his chest. Santo hummed in agreement, his own fingers sought out Wellan’s and intertwined with them. Unbidden more thoughts of the dinner drifted up, taking advantage of the mitigating of his hangover to cloud his mind. His mother had gotten upset about something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. That was part of the reason why he’d sent Kerns home early, the boy had gotten offended on his behalf.

“Did I do anything improper?” He asked quietly.

He felt his living pillow inhale deeply and then exhale, before a low voice reached his ears. “Not particularly, you did turn down the pretty lady the Queen had prepared for you.” The statement was followed by the gentle pressure of lips against the crown of his head. “You were quite firm.” Santo twitched, but didn’t complain. He tilted his head back, resting it on Wellan’s shoulder and sent out another wave of affection towards his friends. They returned it six-fold, affectionate and understanding smiles lighting up all their faces.


End file.
